What We Do

Specialized Spine Treatment

We are an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic specializing in treatment of the spine including low back and neck pain with or without referral of pain symptoms into the extremities. Both of our therapists are certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT), a highly effective, movement based, research supported approach to treating the spine that addresses pain at its source. Greater than 75% of patients with low back pain, and a majority of patients with other spinal complaints respond to one specific direction of movement. Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy allows us to determine this direction, providing a unique systematic method of assessment and treatment unavailable elsewhere in Arkansas for:

We emphasize techniques that empower you to become your own therapist for long term pain resolution and management. For additional information about MDT, visit www.mckenziemdt.org.

When you come to us for back pain, we will perform a thorough, motion based evaluation and provide you with an individualized home exercise program. Many individuals experience significant relief in the first few sessions.

Our Philosophy

When you visit our clinic you will notice that we keep equipment to a minimum. This is intentional. We want you to know that much of what we do in the clinic can be replicated at home. Physical therapy is not about gimmicks, it is about us using our knowledge to develop and progress specific patient centered treatment plans. Your commitment to the home exercise program we develop for you is integral to the success of your therapy. Our goal is to empower you to be your own therapist after we discharge you from therapy.

What We Treat

Our patient population includes a wide variety of ages and diagnoses. Whether you are recovering from an ACL injury or battling low back pain, we seek to assist you in optimizing your recovery so that you can get back to doing the things you need to do, as well as those you love to do. Below is an overview of what we offer at Associates Physical Therapy.

Orthopedic Injury Rehabilitation

In addition to the spine we treat a wide variety of orthopedic complaints including, but not limited to:

A recent study* found that over a third of individuals with extremity problems (such as knee, elbow, or shoulder pain) had conditions that could be classified as derangements. These types of problems are rapidly changeable with specific loading strategies. While most physical therapists are unaware of the existence of these types of problems, MDT trained therapists are uniquely qualified to identify and treat them. Even individuals who have failed to benefit from traditional physical therapy may experience dramatic improvements in symptoms when they are treated using MDT. While we welcome post-operative patients, we encourage patients with joint problems to visit us before surgery, as surgery can often be avoided with appropriate treatment in our clinic.

*May SJ, Rosedale R. A survey of the McKenzie Classification System in the Extremities: prevalence of mechanical syndromes and preferred loading strategies. Phys Ther. 2012;92(9):1175-86.

Women’s Health Physical Therapy

Our goal in providing women’s health is to help you raise your quality of life by providing you with practical ways to address incontinence and other problems related to the pelvic floor. Services offered include:

Who We Are

The Therapists of APT are here to help guide your therapy journey. By evaluating you at your initial visit, educating you appropriately, and monitoring you throughout your course of therapy, we strive to provide individualized treatment. It is important to us that you understand not only what you are to do, but why. Our ultimate goal is to put you on a track that you can follow even once we discharge you. We believe that true success in therapy is achieved when our patients become independent with their home exercise programs and are able to intelligently implement them to resolve the issues that first brought them to physical therapy.

Nathan Tumlison

PT,MS, Cert.MDT,OCS

I am the president and founder of Associates Physical Therapy. I attended undergraduate school at Hendrix College where I played basketball and earned a B.A. in Biology in 1997. I then earned an M.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of Central Arkansas in 1999. After beginning my career working four years in Santa Fe, NM and Albuquerque, NM under the tutelage of Jose Antonio Polo Traverso, FAAOMPT, OCS, I returned home to central Arkansas to open Associates Physical Therapy in September 2003.

I have a passion to help people suffering from musculoskeletal problems, especially those with problems related to the spine and peripheral joints. I feel called to provide my patients with compassionate, caring service.

Mary Persson

PT, DPT, Cert. MDT

I am a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas’ Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. I have worked at Associates Physical Therapy since September 2009 and am a certified Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy provider. In addition to treating general orthopedics and the spine, I also do Women’s Health Physical Therapy. Two of my favorite things about working at Associates Physical Therapy are the team atmosphere and the sense of satisfaction I get from restoring spine patients to pain-free function. My co-workers and our support staff are like family to me, and I hope you feel at home in our clinic too. My outside interests include spending time with my very large extended family and staying involved with my church.

Edwin Smith

PTA

I am a graduate of Arkansas State University where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training in 2017 and an Associates degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant in 2018. I am originally from Sherwood, and I returned to Central Arkansas to join the Associates Physical Therapy team in March 2019. I believe God has given me the gift of compassion and Associates Physical Therapy allows me to use that gift to pour into others. I love my career because I get to connect with others and help people get back to living their lives without pain. Outside of the clinic, I enjoy playing recreational sports, being involved in my church, and spending time with family and friends.

Patient Coordinators:

Collin Weems, Demond White

Office Manager: Shay Jordan

The front office staff strive to be personable, compassionate, and to assist you in any way possible. We are the first faces you see when you enter our clinic and it is important to us that you feel comfortable as you transition into the therapy environment. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions or concerns.

What To Expect

The first step in the therapy process is your doctor’s referral. If your insurance requires a referral from a physician you can have your physician fax us a prescription or give you a prescription to hand deliver. Our fax number is 501-687-0853.

Once we receive a physical therapy prescription for you from your physician, we will call you to schedule you for an initial evaluation. We do our best to accommodate your schedule, realizing that most people have work or school commitments. To decrease the amount of time you have to spend filling out paperwork in our office, we can send your paperwork to you or you can print directly from our website. To view patient forms for self pay or commercial insurance click here: Patient Forms. To view forms if you have Medicare as your primary or secondary insurance click here: Medicare Forms.

As a courtesy to you Shay, our office manager, will check your insurance benefits.

Evaluation visits generally last about an hour but we ask that you arrive 15-30 minutes early to fill out any additional paperwork and an intake survey that helps us to track your progress through therapy.

The purpose of the evaluation visit is to provide you with a thorough assessment by our physical therapists so that we can establish a tailored treatment plan. Follow-up visits typically last 30 minutes to an hour and help us to further assess, progress, and modify treatment plans as needed. Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing that allows you to move freely. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us at 501-687-0851.

Testimonials

I am 63 years old and had been experiencing significant problems with my left knee–swelling and some fluid build up. Prior to this problem, I had been an active participant in biking, swimming and running. However, this knee problem stopped all running and reduced my biking to short rides once or twice a month. Nathan applied a specific therapy which was scraping of the IT band. After 6 weeks I began training again with some moderate biking and running. The knee had no problems so I increased the training to prepare for a Trans-America bike ride. I completed the 3,000 mile ride and my knee felt great. I’ve also recently competed in a sprint triathlon–finishing 2nd in my age group. Nathan Tumlison is an awesome Physical Therapist!!~Gabe Buchholtz